Here's To The Night
by Benji's Riot Gurl
Summary: Based on the song by Eve 6; The Hey Arnold! gang graduate from high school.


Hey Arnold! belongs to Craig Bartlett, and "Here's To The Night" belongs to Eve 6.  
  
It was a clear June night in 2006. We were the class of 2006, and it was the night of the last day of school. There was a huge party ay my best friend's house; the house of Gerald Johansen. Earlier that day we had graduated from Hillwood High School, and tonight was the night we said our goodbyes.  
  
~So denied  
  
So I lied~  
  
My name is Arnold, and I stood in a group with my friends: Gerald, Phoebe (his girlfriend), Harold, Patty, Eugene, Sid, and Stinky. We talked about everything, from kindergarten to the day before. We all reflected back on our memories. But I thought about one flashback in general.  
  
****Flashback****  
  
I was entering High School, freshman year. I was sitting in my classroom, twiddling my ring-covered fingers. I was extremely nervous, but Gerald and I talked, which helped me calm down a bit. Then, SHE walked in. No, not Lila, not Ruth McDougal, but Helga Pataki. She was beautiful, wearing black bellbottom jeans and a T-shirt reading, "Remember my name..........you'll be screaming it later." She had a tomboy style, but she looked so beautiful. Her hair was down to her waist, luminous and shiny. She had plucked her unibrow, and now had two thin, beautiful eyebrows.  
  
~Are you the now or never kind?~  
  
She didn't really hang out with anybody; she was a bit of a loner. But I thought she was beautiful, and I often tried to hang out with her. She just teased me like she had done since we were little, but I couldn't help but to fall in love with her. But how could she love a guy like me? I looked odd; I wore baggy jeans, band T-shirts (like Korn and Orgy), and my hair was simply down on my shoulders, without any life whatsoever. I also wore earrings in my ears that looked like screws, along with skull necklaces and wristbands.  
  
~In a day  
  
And a day love~  
  
I could never tell Helga how I felt. I tried to befriend her, but she wouldn't let me in. I heard from Phoebe that she was depressed since her parents neglected her more than ever. She was stressed because she had to work a lot to support herself, even though she lived with her parents. My grandparents had both died, and my parents were still missing, and I had to live with the boarders. It wasn't terrible, but I had to work a lot as well. I tried to relate to her and help her, but she would say, "Leave me alone, Football Head," and stomp off.  
  
****End of flashback****  
  
~I'm gonna be gone for good again~  
  
Now was the last night for me to tell Helga how I felt. But I hadn't seen her at all that night, and I didn't know where to find her. So I talked with my friends as I waited for her to show up. But I soon forgot about her when Gerald talked about everything that we had gone through. Before, I never really thought much about graduating, but I then realized how all of us had grown up together. How we were all going to go our separate ways and possibly never see each other again. It was then that I realized how much I would miss everybody, and I felt sad.  
  
~Are you willing to be had?  
  
Are you cool with just tonight?~  
  
But I would feel even worse if I didn't see Helga there. I had to tell her that even though she was cruel to me, I loved her with all of my heart. It's funny how someone treats you terribly, but you know they have a good side to them, and you love them anyways. That's how I felt about Helga, but I was always afraid to tell her. I thought that she'd just call me "Football Head", and then laugh in my face, but now, I knew that no matter her reaction, I must tell her.  
  
~Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well~  
  
I spent the next hour talking with all of my friends, upset that this was probably going to be my last night with them. But then we all exchanged e-mails and such, and we swore that we would ALWAYS be friends. Hell, we decided that we were a family, and we would fight just to keep in touch with each other. I felt better, but I knew that I would have to have Helga tonight. I would never live with myself if we went our separate ways without her knowing how I felt.  
  
~Here's to the nights we felt alive  
  
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry  
  
Here's to goodbye,  
  
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon~  
  
I was scared that night. Scared of being thrown into the cold adult world without my classmates. But I was the most afraid of being thrown into that world without my love. It was near ten o'clock, and Helga still hadn't shown up. I felt like kicking myself for not telling her earlier. I doubted she would come. But then, I saw a blond girl with black bellbottoms and a shirt with Homer Simpson on it. It was Helga. My heart surged with pride as I began to walk up to her. My friends all gave me a confused look as I got up to her. They never knew how I felt about Helga, but to tell her was now or never.  
  
~Put your name  
  
On the line~  
  
"What do you want, Football Head?" she scowled as I called her name. I pulled her into the backyard and sat her down on a bench in front of a small fountain. I sat down next to her, looking into her beautiful brown eyes. I looked at her scowling face, but saw a gentle face underneath it. This might be the last night I would ever look in her face, but I had to try to make it so it wasn't.  
  
~Along with place and time~  
  
"Helga," I told her, taking a deep breath. "I love you." I saw her glare turn into a shocked face. I thought she would kill me then, but she smiled gently.  
  
"Arnold, I'm sorry for everything," she said. She looked in my eyes this time, and held her hand in mine. "I've loved you since we were three. I was just too afraid to tell you." I was overjoyed. She loved me back, and this was definitely not going to be the last time I ever saw her. I kissed her lips softly as she wrapped her arms around me. I did the same, and then we broke for air after a minute or two.  
  
~Want to stay  
  
Not to go~  
  
"Now I'm not so sure that I was happy to graduate," Helga said.  
  
"Why not?" I asked her, then kissed her on her forehead.  
  
"All those years we've had together, I treated you like dirt, and now that I can show you my true self, we're going our separate ways."  
  
"No, we won't," I told her. "I will never lose touch with you. I love you too much."  
  
"But you're probably going to Harvard or something, when I'm only going to Old Dominion University," she replied.  
  
"I'm going to ODU," I said excitedly. She smiled very wide, and she was most beautiful when she smiled like that.  
  
~I want to ditch the logical~  
  
We were both going to study animation, so we were probably going to have some classes together. After we discussed this, Gerald stepped outside.  
  
"Are you guys done yet?" he asked. "Come back in. The band is going to play." Helga and I went back into the house, hand in hand. Everybody was obviously confused, but I didn't care. Helga was my true love, and I would never lose her. We danced to a couple of songs, then hung out with our friends. We all then exchanged e-mails with Helga, since she was now showing her true self to everybody, not just me.  
  
~Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well~  
  
We all talked about what we were going to do. Phoebe was going to be a scientist, Gerald was going to be a lawyer, Harold a veterinarian (he now loved animals, especially since he adopted his cat, Cupcake), Sid a doctor, Eugene a physical therapist, Patty an architect, and Stinky an engineer. We all stood there, our last night as classmates, but not as friends. I stood with my arms wrapped around Helga, when Eve 6's "Here's To The Night" started to play. We all broke up to dance; Harold with Patty, Gerald with Phoebe, Sid with Nadine, Eugene with Sheena, Stinky with some girl I didn't know, and Helga with me. As we were dancing, I saw Lila glaring over at us, and I wanted to laugh so badly at how pissed she was.  
  
~Here's to the nights we felt alive  
  
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry  
  
Here's to goodbye  
  
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon~  
  
If I didn't remember anything about school, I certainly would remember the look on Lila's face as I danced with Helga. I saw her and Rhonda pointing at us while whispering something, but Helga just flicked them off. We both then started laughing as the two "princesses" of P.S. 120 scowled and walked off. I then turned my attention back to Helga, who was smiling widely.  
  
"I'm glad we won't be apart," I told her as rested her head on my shoulder.  
  
"Me too," she replied. "I want to spend forever with you."  
  
"Only that long?" I asked, smiling. I then leaned over and kissed passionately.  
  
~All my time is froze in motion  
  
Can't I stay an hour or two or more?  
  
Don't let me let you go~  
  
It was around midnight when Gerald's sister, Timberley, broke out the camera. "I wanna take a picture of the Class of 2006!" she said excitedly. We all stood together, and she took the picture. It was official; we were graduates now, since it was the first day of summer vacation.  
  
"Thank you guys for all of the memories," Phoebe said as we all started hugging each other.  
  
"This isn't goodbye," Harold then piped up. "We will always be friends!"  
  
~Don't let me let you go  
  
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well  
  
Here's to the nights we felt alive  
  
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry  
  
Here's to goodbye  
  
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon  
  
Too soon~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That was ten years ago. Now, Helga and I are working for Nickelodeon as animators. We got married four years ago and are now expecting our first child. All of the couples at the party are married (Gerald and Phoebe, Harold and Patty, you know). We all were successful; we all graduated from college and are doing what we love for a living. We are all getting paid good money and living great lives, but most of all, we are all still friends. We still get together and spend a lot of time together, and I see no chance of parting with my friends in the Class of 2006. 


End file.
